Panel at Long Beach Comic Con Features Yeah Write, a Space for Feedback For Story Writers

by Drew Kaplan ·
Published September 16, 2015
· Updated September 16, 2015

Erica Hoskins Mullenix speaking on panel

A panel held earlier this week in Long Beach featured a website where people can can submit stories they have written and receive feedback. Taking place at the Long Beach Comic Con on Sunday and moderated by Dara Hyde, the panel featured the website Yeah Write, of which Erica Hoskins Mullenix, the founder, was present, along with Christine Hanolsy, its Microstories Editor; Michelle Longo, its Nonfiction Editor; and Rowan Beckett Grigsby, its Submissions Editor.

Mullenix created Yeah Write to “have a more critical sense as a reader and as a writer” as well as for writers to “put your best stuff out there and with a sense of community.” It has “evolved to more of an Internet lit mag” and Yeah Write is “more on the writing side now.” A neat facet about Yeah Write is that one can get immediate feedback. Also, what’s great about an online writing community, observed Grigsby, is that “you can put your pieces out there and have writers” from all over “have their eyes on your work and get feedback.”

Rowan Beckett Grigsby speaking on panel

Yeah Write is “a wonderful place to try some risks with your writing”, as Grigsby pointed out, Also, Longo mentioned that it’s “a place to build up a thickening of your skin”, especially if you want to bring your writing elsewhere. Nevertheless, Hanolsy said that it’s “a safe place to try something new out.”

“When we talk about the landscape of digital storytelling, everything has to be vetted; there has to be a process”, said Mullenix. With Yeah Write, “you have a body of work that you can be proud of, because it has gone through an editorial process.” Also, pointed out Grigsby, “a big part of becoming a better writer is becoming a better reader.”

Erica Hoskins Mullenix speaking while panelists look on

While the panel was an interesting insight into this platform of sharing written stories and feedback, I do have one issue with the titling of the panel. I was drawn to the panel, since it was titled “The Future of Digital Storytelling”, which gave off a sense that the panel would discuss the various ways that stories can be told online, such as videos, pictures, text, and more. And not only the various ways in which stories can be told online now, but also new ways that they can be told in the future. But perhaps the titling of the panel was not created by the panelists, for which they cannot be faulted. Nevertheless, while I came away understanding the idea behind the website better, perhaps the title should have been something different to reflect what it was about: an example of storywriting and giving/receiving of feedback of those stories online.